Foundation garment



Nov. 20, 1945. A. M. BUTow FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed May 14, 1942 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Aorne'y.

,lzvenma be Meyeruouf By Nov. 20, 1945. A. M. BUTOW FOUNDATION GARMENTFiled May 14, 1942 ZSheets-Sheet 2 lzvenw 425e Meyer wzow Patented Nov.20, 1945 FOUNDATION GARMENT Abe Meyer Butow, New York, N. Y., assignerto Artistic Foundations, Inc., New York, N. Y., `a corporation of NewYork Application May 14, 1942, serial No. 442,980;-

This invention relates to releasable closures` 2 Claims.

used in tight fitting foundation garments,.etc., wherein the closuremeans, such as that of the "zipper type, is placed under :tension inuse, and which causes the zipper to operate with diiculty and even tobreak.

In my former invention for releasable closure for a garment opening,Patent No. 2,083,047, I have disclosed auxiliary hook and eye fasteningmeans operatively secured to the zipper tape.

The hook and eye fasteners were secured by l stitching. I have found inpractice that when the hook and eye fasteners are attached by stitching,that the continued pulls and strains which the fasteners are subjectedto causes them to become loose and misaligned. It isa serious drawbackwhen the user has to realign the fasteners When securing the garmentedges together. It is essential to have the coacting fastening elementsmatch exactly even after prolonged usage.

To obviate this misalignment, I employ in the present invention garmentfastening means comprising non-stretchable zipper tapes made of strongtextile material and wherein each hook and` eye fastening member isclamped directly by two rivets to the fabric strips, the two rivetsbeing spaced apart and causing the said fastener elements to benon-yieldably held in linear ali-gnment with said zipper tape. With thisfastening arrangement, two spaced-apart rivets posi tively maintainthepredetermined Aposition of each hook and eye element and resulting ineasy sliding operation of the zippen In my former garment, the hookswere secured to a strip of folded textilefabric and the folds securedtogether in a manner as to provide a tape. The tape, which was offour-ply thickness, car ried the hooks. These four plies are undesirableon account of the degree of stiffness. and bulkiness which is impartedto the garment. bulky tape actually injures the user.

In the present invention, the hooks are secured by narrow strips ofmetal having tubular projections or hollow rivets in spaced relation toeach other and which extend through the strip of fabric and through therespective hooks. The ends of the rivets are clinched so as topermanently secure the hooks to the garment. The hooks are solidlymounted on the fabric and are fully exposed. The hooks are attacheddirectly to the single thickness zipper tape and I have therebyeliminated four plies of superposed fabric at the garment opening,

In garment making practice, where the hook This end portion ofeach hookis not secured to the hook carrying tape, the' hook end portion is loose`and readily raisedavvay from the tape intofsuch position as to make kitvery ,difficult toy hook .and unhook the fasteners and ytheasso'ciated4garment sections. In the present disclosure, the hook end portion ofeach hook is stitched to ythe zipper tape and these stitches retainandprevent the ends of the` hooks `from being raised away from' thetape. Eachhookis thus 'fixed at three points on the Zipper tape and isimmovable from its set position. f Y

In my prior garment I utilized hook and eye tapes for reinforcing theslide-'fastener tapes-and for this-purpose I have built up the saidhookand eye tapes of a large nurnber'ofA layers of superposed fabriclstripstoprovide sufficient strength. In the present'disclosure -Iemploy slide fastener tapes which are substantially non-stretchable andthere is no necessity" for reinforcing' said" slidefastenertapes.` Thereisaccordingly'no necessity for connecting thebottomiportion's oftheslide-fastener tapes tothe eye carrying Vshield strip with reinforcingstitching.

' It is also to be noted that while I haveshown in my prior garmenthorizontally positioned'reinforcing stitching at thev lowerv end of theopening i I which passed through" both slide-fastener tapes, that I havein the present disclosure'provided a line of reinforcing stitching 29Iwhich does not pass through both slide-fastener tapes but passiesthrough but one of the slide-fastener'tapes and solely through theVv eyecarrying shieldz-strip at the opposite' side ofthe slide-fastener.^ l

This disposition of the reinforcing `stitching makes the entire lengthof the slide-fastener elements on the eye fastener side independent ofthe hook carrying shield strip, and permits-the slide-fastener tape onthe eyefastener side" to accommodate itself tothe contour ofthe`slidefastener tape on the hook carrying side all along its length andwithout being hampered by the said eye-bearing shield strip. i

Among the objects of this invention is to provide in a garment closurean improved arrangement of duplex disengageable fasteners' arranged to"supplement each other and eachto take' part of the strain, one set offasteners consisting of va slide-fastener having non-stretchable tapesand the other set of fasteners consisting of hooks and eyes, each of thehooks being directly and positively' secured at threepoints to one ofthe 'tapes of the slide-fastener, and theeyes being positive'- 'lyysecured to aside 'portion of the body'of the "garment-at theopening.`

oi parts will be shown in the accompanying drawings and pointed out inthe claims which form part of this specification,

Reference will now -be had to the drawings, wherein like numerals ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, inwhich: f

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a foundationv garment closure embodying.my' invention, the

Vgarment being shown fragmentarily.

Figure 2 is a rearelevational view of the closure looking at the insideof the garment.

by the seam 26. By means of the seam 26 the fabric strip 2'I and thecovering shield 28 are connected to the slide-fastener tape I I and tothe edge portion 24 of the garment. Eyes 30 are secured by rivets 3I andmetal plates 33 to the fabric strip 2l.

As shown uin Figure 6, the slide-fastener elements III` and the hooks 2iare spaced apart from each otherj As shown in Figure '7, theslide-fastener elements I5 are in considerably spacedapart relation'from the eyes 30. 'I'he eye-bearing fabric 2l and the covering shield 28are made sufiicientlygpliable in crosswise direction to per- Figure 3 islan enlargedfragmentary sectional view, the section being taken Las online 3-3 in Figure l, looking only through the right hand side. .f YFigure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view; the section beingtakenI as on line. 4-4 in= -Figure1." l Figure 5 is a fragmentarylanView-:of an Yeye .bearing tape and covering'shield.

. .Figure 6 is a fragmentaryplanview of a slidet fastener tape havinghooks secured thereto by Vriveted plates and by stitching. f

Figure I is a fragmentary plan view of a slidefastener tape `having eyesYsecured.thereto by rivieted plates'.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of the closure'portion ofthe'garmenton an enlarged scale, showing the twoV sets of fasteningdevices in .assembled relation along a curved surface, as it appearson-the body of the wearer,

l the Asection being taken `as on -line'S-'B in Figure L1'. i v

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the numeral I0indicates'a'foundation garment One set of fasteners consists of aslide-fas- "tener I2 and the other' set-of fasteners is of thehookand'eye type I3. The slide-fastener I2 has interlocking elements I4permanently connected having an opening II which. is adaptedfto be rel-leasably closed by a duplex set of fasteners;

to a tape I6, and elements I5 permanently se- "'-l cured toga tape and4. f I

The tape I6 is connected by Atwo rows of stitching I8 and I9 to :theedge portion 2U of the gar- I'I, as best shown'in Figures 3 Vment bodyI0. vIn addition,a spaced row of hooks 2|. is secured to the tape I6,Vas shown in Figures 2 and 4. The hooks 2| are connected by-rivets 22,metal plates 33, and stitching 23.-- The strain I8 and II!! to thegarment bodyzlll.

On the opposite 'side ofthe opening I I away from rthe tapeI6,'-is'the`opposite tape I1 which carries theinterlockingslide-fastener elements I 5. The tape Il is secured to theedge portion 24 of the garment IIJ by spaced lines of stitching 25 and26.-

',Underlapping the slide-fastener tape I'I is a `fabric strip 21 whichis covered by a fabric shield .on the hooks 2| is `distributed throughthe seams I Y 28. 1 The fabric strip-Hand thecovering shield 28 areconnected togetheratthe outer edge, or

free edge, by stitching 29 and at the inner end mit the hooks and eyesand the metallic portions of the slide-fastener elements to be drawnwhile in non-superposed relation against a substantially plane surfacewhen under stress of wearing conditions.

When the slide-fastener elements i4 and i 5 are in operative engagementthey function freely due to the non-superposed and spaced-apart relationbetween the slide-fastener and the hooks and eyes. As shown in Figures 1and 8, the strain-will be substantially equally divided between theslidefastener I2 and the hook and eye fasteners I3. TheVslide-fastenertapes are made of strong: textile fabric and arenon-stretchable in direction lengthwise of the linear opening i i. Thetapes I B and I1 are independent of reinforcement by the strips 2l and'28. The tapes I 6 and I i and the plies 211 and 28 provide a junctionat. the opening which is of minimum thickness 4and only va smallfraction of the thickness of the closure disclosed in myI said priorpatent, whereby both flexibility and strengthare obtained." 1

When the slide-fastener elements I4 and I5Linterlock, the hooks and eyesare rst engaged-and .the slide 35 is'then moved upwardly as'indicate'clin thesposition shown in vFigure l. i

It will be noted from Figures 2 and 3 thattlic lower portion of theeye-bearing fabric strip 21 and the covering shield 28 carrying theduplexlset of fasteners are wider than the upper -portion thereof so asto underlapall ofthe fasteningV elelments and therebyprevent any injuryto the person using garments having the duplex set of fasteners.' Also,the structure disclosed results in -a neat fitting construction and onewhich will be comfortable notwithstanding any peculiar posture of thewearer. When removing the foundation garment from the person, the slide35 is slid down to the position shown in Figure 2. This down'- wardsliding disengages the slide fastener'elements I4 and I5. The hooks andeyes are then disengaged in the usual manner and theY garment may thenbe pulled downwardly over the hips and off the person.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, I have provided a line of reinforcingstitching 32 which is positioned at the lower end of the elongatedopening I I and obliquely to the opening.' The line of stitching v32does not pass through both tapes I6 and I'I of the slide-fastener I 2,but passes solely through the slide-fastener tape I6 and throughthe'eyecarrying strip 21 and covering shield 28.v

It is to be noted that an advantage of having the eyes non-yieldablypositioned onr the 'eyebearing fabric is that the' user will positivelyfind the eye in a denitely fixed position at all times. This makesfforgreater ease and quickness of-f'astening and unfastening. vThis' isentirely different from the eyesshown in my former patent. which wereyieldably attached merely :by stitching and were movable in alldirections after the garment had been worn but a short time.

`- -It isalso to be noted that the advantage de- 'rived from securingthe hooks directly to one of the slide fastener tapes is to cause thehooks .to be carried `by a strip of singleply'thickness and to renderthe garment at the opening relatively thin Iand flexible, permittingease of body movements of the wearer.

In the usual practice, the opening H extends from the upper edgedownwardly past the waist line. In the type of foundation garment shownnFigures 1' and 2 wherein a frail fabric such as net or lace 36 isemployed'along the upper portion of the garment, the' upper edge oftheslide-fastener extends upwardly from the lower edge of the openingand terminates substantially at the lower level of the frail fabric.

The eye-bearing strip 21 and the 'covering shield 28 Aare made ofrelatively flexible layers of fabric and form-a thin one-piece'iiap 31.The fiap is a one-piece strip of fabric, that is, continuous inlengthwise direction. The threads of the fabric strip 21. are positionedcrosswise of the linear opening li.` The flap 31 is non-stretchable in'a direction-crosswise of the linear opening, and substantially equallydivides the strain with the slide-fastener I2. This arrangement isparticularly desirable in foundation garments having panels that areelastic around the waistline to permit the garment to snugly embrace thewearers body in different positions and wherein the closure means isplaced under tension in use. This arrangement of duplex closure meansalso serves to materially lessen the strain on the slidefastener andcauses it to easily slide and operate freely.

In order to further clarify the workings of this improved closure means,reference is made to Figures 3 and 4, wherein the edge 40 of themetallicportions of the slide-fastener elements I4 Will, in assembled relation,be spaced away from the eyes 30 and substantially follow a dot-and-dashline 4|, spaced from the eyes 30, as shown in Figure 3.

It is to be noted that While the zipper tape will overlie a portion ofthe hook elements, the fact that this woven fabric tape is very thin, itwill not affect the thickness of the closure. The difculty that I havefound in my prior garment closure was that the metallic portions of theslidefastener were in full superposed relation with the metallic hooksand eyes.

AThis expedient of placing the metallic portions of the slide-fastenerelements and the metallic hooks and eyes in spaced-apart relation sothat they could lie against a substantially plane surface formed by theeye-bearing fabric strip 21,

has made it possible to 4materially reduce the thickness of theconnecting portions of the garment at the opening, so that, instead ofpressing or pinching into the flesh of the wearer, the garment closuredescribed herewith eliminates this defect.

It is also to be noted that the spaced relation of the eyes 30 from theslide-fastener elements I5 is also clearly brought out by the numeral42, identifying a lead line terminating in an arrow in Figure 7.

As shown in service position in Figure 8, the two sets of fasteningdevices, when in-use, lie in non-superposed relation against asubstantially plane surface; that is, both lie against the substantiallyat eye-bearing fabric strip 21 and occupy a minimum of space in adirection crosswise of the length of the garment.

It is to be noted that the Woven zipper tapes in use in' the art arevery thin in comparison with the' interlocking zipper elements at thevlengthtapes. It is obvious that, While one of the zipper Y tapesoverlies a portion of the hooks vand eyes, that. due to the thinnessofthe zipper tape, this overlying of the'tapeits'elf does not `affectthe thickness of the closure to rany, appreciableextent. It is thefourtimes thickerv metallic elements of the zipper which it is'very`necessary to prevent from overlying the hooks and eyes.

In accordancek with the patent-statutes, I have described `andillustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention, but it willYbeunderstood that various changes and modificationscan be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by theappended claims. j

Iclaim: f' ,`v 1. In a foundation garment havinga brassire portion madeof frail fabric and having a linear opening extending from Athe*uppermost edge of said brassire portion vto'jan 'intermediate portion oflsaid garment and being defined by continuous fabric tapes secured tothe side edges of said opening, said tapes carrying complementalslidefastener elements extending upwardly and terminating substantiallyat the lower level of said frail fabric, a continuous strip ofeye-bearing fabric secured to said garment along one side edge of saidopening and underneath one of said tapes, each of said eyes beingsecured directly to said strip and lying fully exposed on said stripwhen the fasteners are detached, hooks secured directly to one of saidslide-fastener tapes, said eyes being positioned in spaced-apartrelation from the slide fastener elements secured to the side edge ofthe garment to which said strip is secured, said spacing beingsufficient to permit the metallic portion of the complementalslide-fastener elements to enter between said eyes and slide fastenerelements and lie in non-superposed relation with said eyes, said hookslying fully exposed on said tape when said fasteners are detached, saidhooks and eyes extending along the entire length of said opening, thelower portion of the strip carrying said eyes being wider than the upperportion of said strip and being designed to overlap and shield thewearer from -contact with said fastener elements When said openingisclosed, said hooks and eyes at the upper portion of said garment beingspaced closer together than at said lower portion and beingindependently adapted to absorb the stress in the upper portion of saidgarment, a row of reinforcing stitching at the lower end of saidopening, said garment being elastic crosswise of said closure andcausingr said slidefastener elements and said hooks and eyes to be undertension in use, said eye-bearing strip being non-stretchable in adirection crosswise of said linear opening and substantially equallydividing the strain with said slide-fastener, said slidefastenercomprising thin woven tapes and interlocking elements made of metalconsiderably thicker thanvsaid tapes, said spaced-apart relation of saideyes causing said hooks and eyes and said metallic fastener elements tolie in nony superposed relation against a substantially plane surface,thereby causing said garment at said opening to be of minimum thicknessand flexible.

2. In a foundation garment having a linear opening extending from theuppermost edge to an intermediate portion of said garment and beingdefined by continuous fabric tapes secured to the side edges of saidopening, said tapes carrying complemental slide-fastenerV elementsextending upwardly and terminating at anupper'level, a continuous stripof eye-bearing fabric secured to said garment along one side edge ofsaid opening, each of said eyes being secured directly to said strip andlying fullyexposed on saidfrstrip Ywhen the fasteners are detachedahookssecured directly to one of said slideffastener tapes,- said eyes beingvpositioned in spaced-apart relation from the slide fastener :elements`secured to the side edge 0f Vthe garment to Which saidfstrip issecured, said spacing being -suflicientto permit the metallic portion ofthe complemental slide- -per portion of Said garment being spaced closertogether than at said lower portionand being independently adapted toabsorb the stress in the upper portion of said garment, a row ofreinforcing stitching atthe lower endl of said opening, said garmentbeing elastic crosswisetof said closure and causing said slide-fastenerand said hooks and eyes to be under tension in use, said eyebearingstrip being nonfstretchable in a direction crosswise of said linearopening and substantially equally Vdividing the strain with saidslide-fastener, said slide-fastener comprising thin woven .tapes andinterlocking elements made of metal considerably thicker than saidtapes, said spacedapart relation of said metallic eyes from saidmetallic slide fastener elements causing said metallic hooks andmetallic eyes and said'metallic fastener elements to lie 'innon-superposed relation against a substantially plane surface assumed bysaid eye-bearing fabric when in use, thereby causingsaid garment atsaidopening to be of minimum thickness and flexible.

ABE MEYER 'BUTOW.

